Improvement in machines for holding and soldering cans



UNITED STATES VILLIAM REDHEFFER, JAMES REDHEFFER, JR, THOMAS G.REDHEFFER, OF

ICE.

KANSASOITY, MISSOURI, AND LUKE A. SMITH, OF PAWNEE, KANSAS; SAID SMITHASSIGNS HIS RIGHT TO SAID WILLIAM REDHEFFER, JAMES REDHEFFER, JR, ANDTHOMAS G.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINESTOR HOLDING AND SOLDERING CANS.

Spe'eifi( ation ormrg pa1tofLciters Patent No. 1 37,027, datrd Marth 18,1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM REDHEFFER, JAMES REDHEFFER, J r., andTHOMAS. G. REDHEFFER, of Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and Stateof Missouri, and LUKE A. SMITH, of Pawnee, in the county of Bourbon andState of Kansas, have invented a new and Improved Soldering Apparatus,of which the following is a specification:

Our invention relates to improvements in expanding apparatus for'holdingthe cylinders and heads of cans and other articles, and expanding saidcylinders into the flange of the cap at one end and to a hoop or band atthe other end by the action of a sliding piece having pins working inoblique slots, arranged crosswise of each other in the ends of thecylindrical expanding and contractingcylinder, on which the cylindricalparts of the cans are held, of the character described in the patentgranted to LUKE A. SMITH, October 31,1871, No. 120,466; and theinvention consists, first, of a spring combined with said sliding piece,the slotted ends of the expanding and contracting holder, and theaforesaid pins calculated to hold the parts together snugly and take upany slackness or looseness between the lapping ends of the saidexpander. Secondly, the invention consists of an arrangement of themetal plates, having the oblique slots for actuating the ends of theexpander, calculated to prevent one part of the said expander fromoverrunnin g the other endwise, under the influence of the sliding piececarrying the pins. Thirdly, the invention consists of a clamp or vise,of novel construction, for

holding and adjusting the aforesaid adjustable band. Fourthly, theinvention consists of a presser-lever, for pressing the edges of the canto be soldered together at the seam, with a blade so pivoted to it as toact alike whether the expander be extended much or little, as for largeor small cans.

Figure l is a side elevation of our improved soldering apparatus. Fig. 2is a transverse sectional elevation taken on the line :0 y of Fig. 2;and Fig. 4is a horizontal sectional elevation taken on the line 2 z ofFig. 2.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A is a cylindrically-formed piece of sheet metal larger than thecylindrical part of the can to be formed and about the same length,which is in the middle portion of one end between its edges, riveted orotherwise made fast to a semicircular flange, B, representing the lowerhalf of a circle in a vertical plane, and attached to a base-plate, C,so that the said sheet-metal piece A extends horizontally from saidsupport, which is attached to the top of a bench or any other thing forholding it permanently. This cylindrically-formed piece-A is open andoverlapped at the ends along the top at or about the center. One end hasa curved cast-metal plate, D, attached to its under side 5 the other endhas the curved castmetal plate E attached to it and overlapping D. Thesetwo plates have each two slots through them diagonal to the lengthwisedirection-those of one plate crossing those of the other, as clearlyshown in dotted lines at F and the pins G of a sliding plate, I, passthrough these slots, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and '3, so that whensaid plate moves endwise the cylinder A will be expanded or contracted,according to which way the said plate I moves.

As thus far described the apparatus is similar to that described in theaforesaid patent.

We now propose, for the purpose of operating this sliding plate, toconnect it by a rod, K, with a lever-handle, L, at the rear of cylinderA, and pivoted to the base-plate, as shown at M, instead of having aprolongation of the 7 plate I out through the front for a handle, asheretofore, whereby we avoid the objectionable projection at the front,and facilitate the application and removal of the work and we can applycovers with a hole; besides, we can have as much leverage for workingthe slide I as we may need.

We utilize the pins G of plate I, which enter the slots F for expandingand contracting cylinder A, for bolts also for holding plates D, E, andI together by the yielding force of a spring, N, and, therefore, do notconnect them rigidly to plate I, but have them provided with a headabove plate D, and pass through the slots F, also through plate I, andalso extend friction and that of the heads of the pins G.

tend to move the plates D E and the parts of the cylinder A connected tothem more or less, sometimes moving one more than the other, as themachine was heretofore arranged. We, therefore, now provide the flangesQ on the plate E at the ends, so confining plate D between them that onecannot overrun the other. The cylindrical part of the can is placed onthe cylinder A, with the edges to be soldered together overlapping eachother, as shown by the dotted lines K, Fig. 1. The cover is then put onthe outer end, with its flange overlapping said piece K, and the innerend is placed under a hoop, T, which is to be of the same size as theflange of cover S; then the said piece is expanded by the cylinder A,being worked by the lever L, slotted plates, &c., as much as the saidflange of the cover and the hoop will allow. Now, in order to adapt theapparatus for large or small covers, we propose to use a hoop of wire,T, or any equivalent thereof, instead of the permanently-fixed flangeheretofore used, and to attach it at one end to a clamp or vise-jaw, U,as shown at V, and we confine the other end between said jaw U andanother permanent one, W, by a bolt and nut X, which, being loosened,will allow of moving the unattached end of the hoop toward or from thepoint V, where the 4 other end is attached, so that it can bereadpressing together the edges to be soldered after the part K has beenexpanded, the said presser being in the form of a lever, and pivoted toa stand, B, rising up from the plate 0; and in order to adapt saidpresser to act alike throughout the whole length of covers of differentsizes, which will of course vary relatively to the pivot of the presseras to height, we have a blade, 0, pivoted to the presser near about thecenter, so that it will shift on said pivot so that its hearing-edgewill act alike throughout the length of the can. A spring, D, isprovided with said presser to throw it up after it is released by theoperator at the completion of the work.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination of the spring N with thesliding plate I and the plates D E, substantially as specified.

2. The said spring connected to plate I by the pins which actuate theplates D and E, and said pins provided with a head above plate D, andmade square in the part passing through plate I, substantially asspecified.

3. The plates D E confined against overrunning each other endwise byflanges Q, substantially as specified.

4. The arrangement of the adjustable hoop T and the vise U W X,substantially as specified.

5. The combination, with the expander A, of a presser A, substantiallyas specified.

6. The combination, with said presser, of an adjustable blade 0,substantially as specified.

WILLIAM REDHEFFER. THOS. G. REDHEFFER. LUKE A. SMITH. JAMES REDHEFFER,JR.

Witnesses tothe signature of WM. RED- HEFFER:

ANsoN P. THAYER, O. SEDGWIGK.

Witnesses to the signature names of THos. GLREDHEFFER, LUKE A. SMITH,and JAS. REDHEFFER, J r.:

R. W. QUARLES, Gno. W. GALVIN.

